Leica LTM Pre-war Leica glass, show your photos

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Leica IIIc grey, Elmar 50mm f/3.5 uncoated wartime, Tmax400.

Erik.

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Last year, I took a chance on a job lot of "camera gear" on the big auction site, which included some Leica stuff. I got a Leica IIIb, 9cm Elmar and universal finder as well as a perfect Weston exposure meter and miscellaneous other photography things.

The gem was the Summar which was just about visible in the listing pictures; it turned out to be an early nickel black-nose version manufactured in 1933. The lens had been well used, and at some point had been coated, but the coating was in poor condition.

However, being coated seemed to have protected the glass from any massive damage, so I had the lens properly restored by Malcolm Taylor, which included removal of the coating to return it to original specification. It now has a nice patina of use, with perfect optics.

Initial photographs were taken on expired Orwo NP55 cine film using my 1935 IIIa body. Probably not the best film to use as a test, but already I can see that the sharpness and contrast are superb.

Taken with a Leica IIIa (1936) and uncoated Summar 5cm f2 (1933) on expired Orwo NP55 cine film processed in Orwo A49 (Agfa Atomal):

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Eric, I don't know why you bother specifying anything about the equipment you use for the pictures you post on RFF. I honestly believe you could come up with a beautiful image with a cardboard box, expired heat-damaged offbrand film, and a coke bottle bottom for a lens. It's a pity that the detailed specs I so often see with images from various photographers here don't specify the kind of eye that is needed to make a fine picture.

Cheers,
Dez
 
This is a great thread. I'm really liking what I see here. All my Leica glass is postwar though, so I can't post in this thread. A friend recently bought a IIIF and a CLEAN 1936 Summar from Tamarkin. It's a great lens, sharp and much contrastier than I thought it would be.
 
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